Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced today that the city will complete the long delayed redesign of McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Officials say it will improve safety for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers on one of the borough’s most dangerous thoroughfares. The announcement came from City Hall alongside DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn and local elected officials who have advocated for the full project for years.
McGuinness Boulevard, which runs from Meeker Avenue north to the Pulaski Bridge, has been a major cycling connection between Brooklyn and Queens and has drawn concern for decades because of its high traffic speeds and frequent crashes involving pedestrians and riders. City transportation planners estimate the corridor serves more than 4,000 cyclists daily during summer months, yet many intersections along the four-lane road have been hazardous due to limited bike infrastructure and fast moving traffic.
Under the redesigned plan, the boulevard will be narrowed to one travel lane in each direction, paired with parking protected bike lanes and dedicated vehicular parking and loading lanes on both sides. Officials say the configuration will calm traffic, shorten crossing distances and reduce reckless driving behavior. Similar street redesigns across the city have shown that it can cut serious injuries and fatalities by about 30 percent.
“For too long, critical street safety projects have been delayed or shelved because of political considerations and backroom deal-making rather than the needs of New Yorkers,” Mayor Mamdani said. “New Yorkers deserve to be safe no matter how they commute whether they bike, walk, or drive. That’s why, as one of my first acts as mayor, my administration is committing to restarting implementation of parking-protected bike lanes on McGuinness Boulevard and completing its redesign. New Yorkers deserve an administration that gets right to work to deliver genuine street safety.”
Assemblymember Emily Gallagher noted her frustration with previous inaction and praised the decision as a victory for residents who have organized for safer streets since the death of local cyclist Matthew Jensen in 2021. “Today’s announcement is a victory for the local advocates and community members who fought for decades to make McGuinness safe,” Gallagher said, adding that the redesign reflects “a sense of urgency and a promise kept.”
Councilmember Lincoln Restler described the redesign as a necessary correction to a street that has for too long “divided Greenpoint,” while Representative Nydia Velázquez highlighted the “persistent community advocacy” that helped push the project forward. State Senator Kristen Gonzalez stressed the life saving potential of the protected bike lanes, saying that advocates championed these evidence-based changes because “we know they save lives.”
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso praised the mayor and transportation officials for advancing measures “that put the public good ahead of political gain,” crediting the coalition of residents, families and advocates who have long pushed for the full project to be realized. Community organizers from groups such as Make McGuinness Safe underscored their optimism that the new administration’s commitment will produce infrastructure that finally protects children, commuters and neighbors.
The broader McGuinness Boulevard story spans decades, with earlier portions of the redesign implemented and scaled back at different times by prior administrations. Many residents and street safety activists expressed disappointment in past compromises that limited protected lanes or maintained higher-speed vehicle traffic. Mayor Mamdani’s announcement signals a return to the original Department of Transportation plan, extending the safety improvements across the full corridor for the first time.
Officials say implementation will proceed with an eye toward community input and minimizing disruptions, with construction activities expected as weather permits.
